September 13, 2024; Kansas Metropolis, KS, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Matthew Sluka (3) runs the ball with Kansas Jayhawks security OJ Burroughs (5) throughout the second half at Kids’s Mercy Park. Obligatory Credit score: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Photographs Not many individuals go away Las Vegas with extra money than once they got here. That is very true if you’re beneath 21 years previous.
UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka is leaving Las Vegas after main the Rebels to an undefeated 3-0 begin.
Sluka launched a press release on social media early Wednesday morning explaining that he would miss the rest of the season.
“My resolution to attend the College of Nevada, Las Vegas was based mostly on sure representations that had been made to me that weren’t supported upon my enrollment,” Sluka stated. “Regardless of discussions, it grew to become clear that these Guarantees won’t be fulfilled sooner or later.”
School soccer analyst Carl Reed Jr. reported that regardless of this assertion, Sluka’s monetary dedication was met by the college. Nonetheless, after huge wins in opposition to Houston and Kansas, his household employed an agent and believed his market worth had elevated.
Welcome to the world we dwell in.
Experiences later Wednesday morning confirmed that Sluka was approached with a request to switch extra funds. He’s certainly now not taking part in for the Rebels and might be transferring.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke with Sluka’s father, Bob, who claimed that UNLV by no means paid his son something. Bob claims his son’s agent reached a professional bono settlement with the college again in February, however he by no means obtained any cost. The truth is, he claimed that his son’s residing bills weren’t even paid, which is very unorthodox for a high-profile faculty athlete who performs sports activities on scholarship.
Possibly Sluka fudged the reality in his assertion and now his household is performing some injury management. Possibly the athletic division leaked false data in the midst of the night time about his household hiring an agent. Possibly the faculty actually did squeeze him out of the promised cash. No matter what really occurs, this does not look good for Sluka or UNLV. Head coach Barry Odom is now with out his beginning quarterback, it doesn’t matter what precisely is happening behind the scenes.
School athletes ought to be compensated for his or her identify, picture and likeness. But it surely has formally taken on a brand new lifetime of its personal. School soccer at the moment has a interval of unrestricted free company. These athletes can discover loopholes to keep away from competing as a result of they really feel their market worth will increase after successful a couple of video games.
It was solely a matter of time earlier than the NCAA stepped in and put an finish to this insanity. Somebody is mendacity right here. Both the varsity by no means compensated Sluka regardless of its guarantees to him, or he was actually out of there chasing extra money.
Think about if, within the NFL, an underpaid quarterback like Brock Purdy may inform the San Francisco 49ers: “No. You do not have sufficient cash for me. I will wait and see till I can get out of this.” Good luck to my teammates within the offseason.
However for a workforce just like the College of Nevada, Las Vegas, they had been screwed. Their beginning quarterback gave up on them three weeks into the season as a result of he needed to chase extra money.
This isn’t what newbie athletics is about. That is not even what skilled sports activities is about, brokers and athletes have to attend for a devoted interval of free company earlier than leaping to a brand new workforce.
